iOS 6: Apple unveils 'World's most advanced mobile operating system'

Big changes ahoy for your phone and tablet

Apple has taken the wraps off iOS 6 and offers some big updates that iFans the world over will lap up.

First up is improved Siri integration - you can now launch apps right from the voice recognition software, as well as get a wealth of information.

You can open games (which seemed to get a huge reception from the audience for a simple and slightly pointless function) as well as get sports scores (including the English Premier League) and resturant reservations.

Siri is also integrated into the car experience - Apple is working with a number of car manufacturers to have a voice-activated button on the steering wheel, known as Eyes Free.

Local search is also being extended around the world - so information on businesses around UK-dwellers should finally be available too.

Want to know what the newly announced iOS 6 features tell us about the iPhone 5? See here:

New maps

For this app, Apple has built a new app from the ground up, and it 'looks beautiful' according to the Cupertino brand.

The big new feature is turn by turn navigation, which is of course integrated into Siri to let you ask questions on the way - such as where to get petrol - as well as letting you navigate by voice.

Fly Over is another new feature, and Apple has been building a 3D photographic model of cities - 'gorgeous', says the iBrand - it's the equivalent of Google Earth in Apple's new maps app (in fact, a lot of the new features look very similar to Google's offering).

Apple's Maps app is all vector-based too so it's easy to zoom in and out, and if you get close enough in you'll see buildings start to appear in 3D, allowing you to get reviews, ratings and the 3D mode to see what things looks like in real time.

Apple has ingested already over 100 million businesses and integrated with Yelp to get information down to you - and like Google Maps, traffic information is placed on top to let you know what's going on.

In a move ahead though Apple is using anonymised crowd-sourced data to help you understand what's going on exactly with the standstill carpark you find yourself in on the motorway - which will be a godsend to those confused.

Facebook integration

You can now get access to Facebook from within the iOS 6 platform, in the same way as is possible with Twitter.

The functionality is integrated within the Notifications Center, which allows you to post your Facebook updates from a single swipe (with Twitter again getting in on the act).

The functionality will be built into Siri, allowing you to post statuses with your voice - and Facebook will be integrated within the App Store so you can share the apps you're into.

Facebook Events are embedded into the calendar, as well as contact integration to present email addresses and phone numbers into the phone app.

Phoning up

In iOS 6 new controls from an incoming call will allow you to set a reminder to call a person back or reply with a message.

If you choose to set a reminder, you can use the likes of geo-fencing to allow you to set a location to call a person - such as when you leave a meeting or head to your Mum's house.

Another new feature is Do Not Disturb, which allows you to stop your phone alerting you when you get notifications - so no sounds or screen lighting up to wake you up or irritate at key moments.

More importantly, you can create groups in your contact list to stop the people you don't want calling getting through. However, if they're persistent and call within three minutes again, the call will crack through DND - Apple says this is for emergencies but seems like more of a challenge to us.